rRNA
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Biology
| Stands for | Ribosomal RNA |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
rRNA stands for Ribosomal RNA, a biology abbreviation.
RNA that forms the structural and catalytic core of the ribosome, the cell's protein factory; it makes up most of a ribosome's mass and is the most abundant RNA in a cell. Ribosomal RNA, not protein, catalyzes the formation of peptide bonds.
Example: Bacterial communities in the soil samples were profiled by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene.
Usage notes
Because rRNA genes are present in all cellular life and change slowly, Carl Woese compared them to propose the archaea as a third domain of life in 1977. Sequencing the 16S rRNA gene remains the standard way to identify bacteria in microbiome studies. Several antibiotics, such as streptomycin, work by binding bacterial ribosomes.
Related abbreviations
More biology abbreviations
- PCR – Polymerase chain reaction
- PDB – Protein Data Bank
- PFU – Plaque-forming unit
- qPCR – Quantitative polymerase chain reaction
- RNA – Ribonucleic acid
- ROS – Reactive oxygen species
- RT-PCR – Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
- RuBisCO – Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase
- SDS-PAGE – Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
- sp. – Species
- spp. – Species (plural)
- subsp. – Subspecies